But all over-expression, whether by journalists, poets…
““But all over-expression, whether by journalists, poets, novelists, or clergymen, is bad for the language, bad for the mind; and by over-expression, I mean the use of words running beyond the sincere feeling of writer or speaker or beyond what the event will sanely carry. From time to time a crusade is preached against it from the text: ‘The cat was on the mat.’ Some Victorian scribe, we must suppose, once wrote: ‘Stretching herself with feline grace and emitting those sounds immemorially connected with satisfaction, Grimalkin lay on a rug whose richly variegated pattern spoke eloquently of the Orient and all the wonders of the Arabian Nights.’ And an exasperated reader annotated the margin with the shorter version of the absorbing event. How the late Georgian scribe will express the occurrence we do not yet know. Thus, perhaps: ‘What there is of cat is cat is what of cat there lying cat is what on what of mat laying cat.’ The reader will probably the margin with ‘Some cat!””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Overly elaborate language obscures meaning and burdens the mind; plain expression conveys truth more effectively.
In simple terms: Fancy language hides truth.
Key Takeaway
Prefer clear, sincere language.
Themes
clarity
communication
literature
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
literary
advice
When to use this quote
- writing
- editing
- reading
- teaching
- literary criticism
Key Concepts
over‑expression
conciseness
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you balance vividness with clarity?
- When does simplicity become dull?
A Different Perspective
Excessive simplicity can strip nuance and depth.